Luggage carrier



June ,10, 1,924. w .-..1, 9s,so4

L, 1, BECKWITH- LUGGAGE CARRIER [filed Jun 25. 192) .2 Shuts-Sheet i Patented June 10, 1924.

LOUIS I. BEOKWI'I'H, OF

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LU GGAGE CARRIER.

Application filed June 25, 1921. Serial No. 480,376.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS I. BnoKwrrH, citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Boston, Dorchester, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Luggage Carriers. of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to luggage carriers for automobiles and more particularly to an adjustable device of this character adapted to be detachably mounted upon the running board of the vehicle.

Devices of this type, to be acceptable to the user, must be of a character such as to permit of their ready application to the running board without injury to the latter, and such that they may be removed at will and folded into compact form for transportation in the limited space available for such purposes in ordinary automobiles. It is also desirable that an appliance of this kind be of variable length to accommodate the quantity of baggage to be carried, and if the outer retainln wall thereof be made extensible for this purpose it is almost necessary that it be provided with members which may be extended transversely across the running board to form end walls for the luggage receiving compartment. For the compact folding of the device it then becomes desirable to provide means whereby such end walls may be caused to lie in a plane substan tially parallel to that of the outer retaining wall when the arts are collapsed for storage. Devices of this kind should be of relatively light construction in order to permit ready handling of the same, as well as to avoid incumbering the vehicle with useless weight, but at the same time should be strong and capable of firm and secure con nection to the running board. For the pur pose of properly securing the device to the running board, strong supporting posts should be rovided at intervals, to which posts the c amping means may be secured. Moreover the clamping means employed should be of relatively heavy construction in order to secure a firm grip upon the edge of the running board. When, as in some cases, the extensible wall portion of the device is of lazy-tongs construction, proper connections must be provided between such wall and the supporting posts therefor, whereby to permit the expansion and con traction of the elements forming the wall,

while at the same time the supporting of.

desirable to provide joints of a character 77 such as to permit of the relative movement of the bars without danger of marring or removing portions of the enamel or paint adjacent the pivot point.

The present invention has for its object the provision of a device embodying the various desirable features above pointed out, and in a simple and inexpensive form which may be applied to automobiles of all usual makes without substantial change therein or injury thereto.

A preferred embodiment of means for carrying the invention into effect is disclosed in the accompanying drawings in which,

Figure l is a side elevation of an automobile. having the device of the invention applied thereto Figure 2 is a rear view of the luggage carrier of Fig. 1 showing the same in collapsed condition;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the right-hand end of the device as shown in Fig. 1;

Figure l is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the device shown in Fig. 3;

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse section through the central supporting post of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 6 is a front elevation, illustrating a slight modification of the device shown in Fig. l but to somewhat larger scale;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary front elevation of th upper end of the left-hand post of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 8 is a plan view of the device shown in Fig. 7;

Figure 9 is a plan view of the device detached from the automobile, and in extended condition;

Figure 10 is a fragmentary front elevation of the u per end of the central supporting post, to arger scale;

runniirg Bdirdf- Feeeetsei atescrew 15' l 'ifi'ure 11 is a' flbss sectional rice' illustrating one mode of connecting intersecting bars of the expansible -wall device; and I,

Fig. 12 is a transverse cross section illustrating a modified and preferred form of joint for connecting relatively movable members of the device. x

Referring to Figs. 1 to 5, an automobile of any usual.construction is in'rlic'ated diaerm-emery at '1 7 tilItOI'RObilB here g prcvitldiwith th running board 2 and-with the' fenders *3, 34, respectively. Mounted upon the mining board-2 is the device forming the subject-matter of the present iiri entioii, this deTice *con'iprisiiig theend pests 5, 6;"the c%nterpost 7 and the expansible iside retaining wall 8. The supporting posts, are preferably formed of relatively thinbutfrigid m'atei'iai' 'haviiig t -heir lower extremities bent at substantiatly right angles tdt'rrfi th oaths we end of eaeh-of the posts is secured a clamp Whereby such-post may-be secured to. the ruiinihg' board. The clamps for the end posts" 5'andti are of duplicate construction and each preferably comprises an integral bar bentdnto suhstantiali v- J form whereby to rotide a short horizontal arm10. the longi ioi'izontal arm 11 and the vertical connecting member 12. -'lhe meniher I0 rests upon theuppr surface of the member *9 oftlie post, andmay be connected thereto by meansoia rivet d-9 or inother.

suitable manner. The. member 12' of the clamp is positioned 'in contact with lower portion of the niainbodf fofthe post and is secured thereto by means ota'rrivet 14 or bolt; The clampymenriber is prefera biy of heavier material than meme Wh'iclrthepost is formed and may, if desired, li of hardjened'steel Wherelfi' theciamp isnahled to withstand the clamping pressure in a reliable and satisfactory manner. 7 Aligned openingsare formed in the member 9 and the member lflof the clamp, such openings bein intei'nallj seren -threaded for the receptIofl bf a'jclarnptn'q serew 15. This clamping screw-maybeprovided with an angular rlisposidtheade-lfi whereby it maybe-turned'ni', iftlesi'rd--a hand wheel, nut or other where-meme ma begin of the 6rW eitlierby hand or by the use of a sultable, wrench; 1 f V afi eebsteaearirt e) the in adjusted positihibhfiQdie niaij ilii prw vided with a lock nut 18 of usual construction.

angularly disposed por The clamping device :fer the :cen tral post 7 is of somewhat diii'erent construction from that of the end posts, such clamping member consisting of a substantial U shaped frame having the horizontal members 19, 20, respectively, connected by the vertical 1'nember121. The member 20 is secured to the member 9 of the post 7 by means of a rivet whilethe member 21 is connected to; the lower part otthe post 7 by the rivet 23. l The upper member 19 of the clamp has riveted thereto at the point 2- a plate 2:) which is provided with a tang 26 passing through an opening in the post 7 and riveted over onthef outer side thereof at 27. As indicated in Fig. '2, the membersli). 20 of the central clamp are-placed somewhat further apart than are the members-l0, ll

of the end-clamps for a purpose to be here- "riveted at points 30, 31. IGSPGEtlVElY, to an end )ost and to the COY1'ES1')0n(ll11gclamp mem er 11, these constituting a substantially rectangular frame. Each end wall mayalso comprise the intermediate vertical member 32 riveted at its upper andlower ends to the members 28 and 11, respectively. It will thus be clear that the end Walls are rigidly connected to the end posts'and to the end clamping members and extend indirections suliistantially perpendicular to the plane of the end posts. Elie retaining-Wall is preferably of lazyton'gs construction. comprising pairs of intersecting' bars such as -33. 34, such; bars being-piroted together at their points of intersectioh as indicated at 35. :The opposite ends of the bars constituting the several pairsare also pivoted. at points such as 36,

37, to theuends of the bars of adjacent pairs.

7 connecting :devices'are provided:

'ThTipper oiclainpihg*ehd of rhescre is ReferringtoFigs; and t, the connecting-device employed is indicated ias comprising: a-shont lev'erarm-QS pivoted as at -"39 -to the post and provided. adjacent its "free end with a slot-$0. Looped through res stor-40 is the central portion ofa strap member 41,; the endswof said strap iindi- 'caied atfi, 43.-respectively. being bent into substantial parallelism and including between them the end portion of one of the bars, as 33. Passing through aligned openings in the end of such bar and in the members 42, 43, is a pin or rivet 44 which serves to connect said members together whereby to permit relative movement of the bar and strap. lVith this arrangement it is evident that the end of the bar 33 may move freely in a vertical plane, while at the same time the lever 38 with the post to which it is connected may swing horizontally relative'to the strap by reason of the loose connection of the latter at the slot 40. While the above connecting means has been described as applied to the end of the bar 33, a similar device is employed for connecting the end of the bar 34, such connecting means being disposed at the upper and lower parts of the supporting post respectively.

Other means suitable for connecting the extensible wall 8 to the supporting post are.

shown in Figs. 7 and 8.

In this arrangement the post 5 is shown as being provided with a short lever arm 45 pivoted thereto by means of the pivot pin 46. This lever 45 constitutes one leaf or flap of a hinge of ordinary form, the other flap thereof being indicated at 47, these flaps being connected together by the pintle pin 48. To the outer end of the flap member 47 is secured the upper end of one of the bars such as 34 of the extensible wall, this bar being connected by means of a pivot pin 50 to the flapmember. A similar hinge connection may be employed adjacent the bottom end of the post as indicated in Fig. 1. 7

While either of the connecting members just described may be used in securing the extensible wall to the posts, and while all of such forms may be used in the same structure if desired, that indicated at the righthand side of Fig. 1 and in detail in Figs. 3 and 4 is preferred, this form being simple and cheap to construct and giving very efficient results in service.

The extensible wall may be connected to the central post 7 as by means of a pivot pin 55 which also serves as the connecting element for a pair of the intersecting bars such as 33 34" of which the wall is composed. With this arrangement, however, it is necessary to provide for the vertical movement of the point of connection of the bars 33, 34, respectively, which are connected to the bars 34 33' at the points 60 61, respectively. For this purpose, the upper end of the central post 7 is provided with a lon itudinal slot 62, and the pivot pin 63 whic serves to connect the bars 33, 34 is elongated and passes through the slot 62, this pin thus serving not only to connect said bars, but also to guide their upper ends for vertical movement.

The several intersecting bars formin the extensible wall of the device are pre erable oi? relatively thin material, and at their points of intersection may be secured together if desired as indicated in Fig. 11, wherein two such bars as 33, 34, are shown as having interposed therebetween one or more washers such as 64:, 65, the bars being openings are formed through such bosses with an outstanding boss for the reception of a pivot pin or rivet" 35". \Vhile these bosses maybe formed in any desired manner, it is preferred to form them by striking up the metal from the opposite side of the bar, thus forming depressions in the opposite sides of the bars iii which the heads of the connecting rivet or bolt may be seated.

In accordance with the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, the connections between each-of the posts 5, .6, and the respective" ends of the extensible wall member are of the same type, being such as isshown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4c, the arrangement in other respects being like that of Fig. 1.

\Vith either of the arrangements described? the extensible wall member permits of the expansion-of the device to a length substantially equal to the length of the running board or of its collapse into very sma-ll di:

rigidly supported in all positions of adjustment by the connection of its upper and lower edges to the several posts- When the lazy-tongsstruciure is to be collapsed, the end wall frames. comprising the members 28 and 11, which during the use of the device stand substantially at right angles to the plane of the extensible wall, may be swung rearwardly to lie in planes substantially parallel to that of the wall, such swinging being permitted by reason of the universal joint connections between the posts and the ends of the extensible member. Vhen the end frames are swung into parallelism with the extensible member, the members 11 of such frames pass between the opposed members 19, 20 of the clamp carried by the central post, and when so positioned may be retained therein by tightening the clamping screw forming a part of said clamping device. In this condition, the structure may readily be transported without any danger of its accidental expansion or of the swinging outwardly of the end frame members.

By the employment of connecting joints such as indicated in Fig. 12, it is unnecessary to interpose washers between the connected elements, and as the connected parts 'lTlQl'lSlODS i-he' lazy-tongs structure being are-spaced ctrom each other by their integral boss struck Hg from its surface and exbosses; thereiis nodanger of their rubbing tending towar the plane of the other bar, iogether; adjacent the jointiwithconsequent and a pivot pin passing through aligned breaking oi theenmnel or paint with which axial openings in the respective bosses and 8 they may lie-coated and the consequent rustconstituting a pivotal connection for said in 015 the r netala bars. H l V ilaving thusdescrihed the invention in A Luggag carrier having a retaining areferred ,e1 nbodimei1t "of, the same to- Wall oflazy-tong's construction", said well i V %et 1e,r with;the ;,1node of use thereof, What comprising a plnrality of pairs of intersect- 10 ,gclaj-iin and desire to, secure by Letters ing metallic bars, the bars of each pair hav- Pat enft of the United Sitates is i in}; bosses projecting from their adjacent LQ A;device of the glass described eomfaces at their'point of intersection, and iilfising a iretaining wall of lazyton s 'conmeans forpivota'lly eonnecting said Bars at orsiipp'orting sat vvall, in en a'lgeinent one with the other.

nested b a arres o M means ooniprisinga plurality ofjiivotally '5. A lugga e carrier including a retainz t klzl ihfififidmelements ;in'ternrie iatej t he bars o azy-t'ongs construction having a g p amsaurmgwas qi b e b rit terminal 'piWta'Hyconnectedbars, anfend z nppei'g .partjoifthefgost, land sec iring post for thefearrien andniea'ns connecting i .,pi 0p ,l1y greeting; an; end; of the bars-With the end post's, said connecting the (other; ,tojth erl W 1; ,part of theyost, means including members pivoted to the said sedurin'gineans beingjefonstru'egedi and fpostiorswih' ing' rn'o'veinent longitudinally amiangedntoa ,er nit relative fn ov'ernent of thereof; andadditional members hinged to I! ne ye t el n st- 2bit) iaj deviee of, theclass 'des erihed:, a eonnectiingithe latterinembers' with the bars .sniiojtin'lgfost, a, retainin yqall comprisof theret'gajiningwall. iiig', qelacive mojvablef nein ers, and a con- 6. A. device of the-elas's; described includlq neqtngideviee' for securing one of said ing anningwand lazy bongucon struc- 3o memhers tp ithe post saidf connecting detion having terminal intermediately pivoted vice comprising a lever a'rni pivoted to the bar portions,-"a supporting endl post for .pofst.af1 d-.yvinga le in a vertical plane, said the Wall, and hii fg egneinhers intermediate anti. having-1 an open adjacent its free. end, the wa'll and-cheeses,- said'hinge members g ;;a it? haying its central portionzlooped .havi ng para'llel fnvot connections securing 3i ihlsoiig@said openingithe' end o'rtions of their respective leaves to the'post and to the said s ttfap en aging oppo sitelsiges of 'said vv all, saidconnections lying in a plane at ,mo'ygh emem er and a pjvotpi passing angles to the pintle portion of the through andconnjeetijng the ends of the hi 1' V 1 i 2 strabjand said member, I f I l SIgned-hy meatBo'ston, Massachusetts, 0 35A"liigigage' earrier comprising a, ir this 16th day of May, 1921.

eie-t at y. y t ns e iba r a I parallel panes, each of said bars having a LOUIS I. BECKWITH.

righfl aii' gle's f'thereto and," means pivotally 

